


It Reminded Me Of You

by Blue_Robin



Series: One Hundred Ways To Say 'I Love You' [1]
Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Dinner Party, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Ilsa Won't Give Up, Matchmaking, Murder Mystery Theater, Nick Loves His Wife, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-02-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 16:32:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17707793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Robin/pseuds/Blue_Robin





	It Reminded Me Of You

“Nick? Can you take the apple crumble out of the oven for me please?”

“Right.” Nick Herbert muttered to himself as he searched in vain for the oven mitts. They were no where to be seen in the kitchen. “I can. Absolutely,” he responded to the shouted request from his wife, Ilsa, “Only…where are the mitts?”

He heard a muffled curse but wasn’t sure if it was a response meant for him and so, he was bent over, rummaging through a drawer full of tea towels when Ilsa came bustling into the kitchen, muttering curses under her breath and carrying the mitts with her. He guessed she must have carried them into the bedroom with her without realizing it.  

“I swear, I don’t know why I’m so nervous Nick.” She slid the mitts on and opened the oven, “We’ve had them over for dinner countless times before.”

As he watched her settle the desert on the hob to cool he smiled. His Ilsa had a heart of gold, a mind sharp as a knife and the soul of a complete romantic. He never looked at her without feeling fortunate that she’d fallen just as hard for him as he had for her when their mutual best friend Cormoran, had introduced them at his and Nick’s shared eighteenth birthday party. She completed him in ways he hadn’t fully understood, even then.

But at the moment she was brimming with nervous energy. Bubbling over with anxiety and worry. He reached out and took her hand as she removed the mitts and yanked her to him, cradling her lush curves against his lanky frame. He hummed along with James Morrison’s You Give Me as he guided her into a slow dance, pressing his cheek against her temple.

She relaxed into his arms immediately, laying her cheek against his shoulder and sighing. “I just want it to be perfect Nicky. It needs to be perfect.”

He squeezed her tightly before drawing her back so he could look into her eyes, “Ilsa, I know we want them to realize they’re perfect for each other, but we can only do so much.” She opened her mouth to protest but he cut across her gently, “No one loves Oggy more than me. He’s the only reason I have you. But he has to come to the decision to make a move on Robin on his own.”

“Robin is just as capable of making a move herself,” Ilsa insisted.

“Of course she is. But she may not feel comfortable doing so Ilsa. Remember, she’s only ever been with Twatthew and Cormoran is her senior partner.” He squeezed her hand and sent her into a delicate twirl under his arm, still swaying to the music drifting from the lounge. “She’s the second strongest woman I know, but she’d need more courage than Neville Longbottom to make a pass at Oggy. Especially if he’s so damnably closed off with her all the time as he is when he’s with us.”

Ilsa huffed in what he knew was aggravation but nodded her agreement.

The song ended, and Nick released her with a gentle kiss, “What can I do to help you now?”

She looked around the kitchen and with a small sigh said, “I think everything is set and ready. They just need to get here.”

“Great.” He opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of chardonnay he’d picked up for this evening. He uncapped it and poured her a small glass and held out his hand to pass it to her. As she reached for it however, he pulled it out of her reach and teased, “You have to pay your tab first.”

He loved seeing her eyes sparkle at his mischief. “And what’s the price?” she asked with a knowing grin.

“For now, I’ll settle for a proper snog. But the prices go up the later it gets.” Her lips were still curved in a grin as they met his. They stood in their kitchen, kissing and murmuring to each other, sipping wine and laughing until finally the front doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” he whispered to her before kissing the tip of her nose, leaving her giggling behind him.

His smile was huge and genuine as he opened the door to find both Robin and Cormoran on the front step. “Good evening! How are you Robin?” He bent to peck her cheek as she answered with a smile and a quick “I’m great!” He stepped back to allow them through the door, before clapping Cormoran on the back with a mumbled, “Oggy.”

Cormoran instantly moved to help Robin remove her jacket, hanging it and the scarf she handed him on the pegs next to the front door beside his.

“Where’s Ilsa?” Robin asked.

“Go on through. She was in the kitchen drinking all the wine when I came to let you in.”

“I heard that,” came the droll response from his wife as she met Robin in the lounge and gathered her into a hug before swatting at Nick as he and Cormoran, who stooped to plant a kiss on her cheek, passed beside them on their way to the kitchen to obtain drinks. “Oh, I love this blouse Robin. Where did you get it?”

Robin brushed her hands down the front of her grey silk blouse and replied, “I’ve had this for ages. I can’t remember where I picked it up.” She shrugged. “But you’re welcome to borrow it if you like.”

“Hmmm.” Ilsa continued to eye the blouse, “I just might.”

Cormoran handed Robin a glass of the chardonnay as he took a deep swig of the beer Nick had poured him. He made a show of glancing around the room, “Where are the wee beasties?”

“Ricky and Ossie, if you must know, are at the vets this weekend,” Ilsa answered while making a face at her old friend.

Robin grabbed her arm, clearly worried, “Are they OK?”

“Oh yes, they’re fine…It was just time for their…well…” Ilsa trailed off with a significant raise of her eyebrows.

“Ahhhh!” Robin nodded before turning to Cormoran and grinning, “Looks like you’re safe.” She laughed heartily at his narrowed eyed glance and muttered, “Cheeky.”

Ilsa took Robin’s hand and tugged her toward the dining table, “I hope you two are hungry. I couldn’t stop myself from doing a roast and Corm, before you ask, yes, I made apple crumble.”

“You’re an angel Ils,” Cormoran replied. “I’d get down on my knees and bow to you if I could.”

“No need to worship at my feet.” Ilsa waved off his chicanery with a graceful wave of her hand. “Just continue to send me referrals and I’ll consider the debt paid.” The entire party dissolved into laughter as they took their seats at the table and started passing dishes.

They laughed and joked their way through dinner, with Nick and Cormoran ribbing each other about football, Robin and Cormoran sharing humorous encounters with clients and subjects they were tailing and Ilsa and Robin snickering over Ilsa’s stories about Nick’s attempts to train the cats.

As Ilsa brought the apple crumble to the table, passing it first to Cormoran, she said, “I have something for the two of you. It reminded me of you.”

She turned and lifted an envelope from the breakfront next to the dining table. “Nick agreed with me that it was the perfect thing for you both,” she said as she handed the envelope to Robin.

Robin opened the flap and pulled out two tickets to, “A murder mystery dinner play?” She glanced at Cormoran with raised eyebrows, obviously surprised.

“Yes. One of my paralegals is involved in community theater and they put on this show every year, with different mysteries of course, as a fundraiser. She asked me if Nick and I might be interested in going this year, but we already have plans for that day. But then I thought of you two and I thought you’d probably both enjoy it.”

“I don’t understand what it is though…is it a play?” Robin was genuinely confused.

“Well, from what I understand, you and the other attendees arrive, dressed for the theater,” she pointed to the dress code, listed as “black tie”, on the tickets and you’ll each be given an envelope with further instructions for how the evening will go. You’ll socialize and mingle with the other guests only none of you will know who the other guests are and who the actors are.” She paused as she noted that both Robin’s and Cormoran’s eyes were starting to light up.

“At some point in the evening, early I’d guess, someone will be ‘killed’,” she moved her fingers in air quotes. “And the investigation will ensue. Someone will turn out to be the murderer but everyone attending will help figure out the mystery.” Ilsa could barely contain her glee as Robin and Cormoran exchanged glances filled with excited curiosity. “What do you think? Does it sound fun?”

“Robin?” Cormoran asked, clearly willing to take a cue from his partner.

“It does. It actually sounds really fun.”

“What day is it? Do we have anything scheduled that evening?” Cormoran replied.

Robin glanced down at the tickets, flushed, and then glanced back up at him, “It’s on February 14th.”

He looked at her, nonplussed.

“Comoran, that’s Valentines Day. Don’t you have a date?” Robin laughed, but Nick could see that the laugh didn’t quite reach her eyes. Cormoran remained silent for a few moments, watching his partner, then glancing over at Nick, before responding.

“No. Actually. I don’t.” His voice was soft.

“You don’t?” Robin whispered.

“No. I’m not really seeing anyone right now. You?” Nick saw Cormoran’s hand tighten to a fist, where it rested on his leg under the table, out of Robin’s eyeline.

“I’m not. I haven’t really been interested in anyone. You know…Since the divorce.” Robin’s eyes went back to the tickets still grasped in her hand.

Ilsa was quieter than he’d ever seen her. Nick was almost certain she wasn’t even breathing. He knew he wasn’t interested in doing anything that would distract Cormoran and Robin from each other. Ilsa’s eyes found his and he could see her hope, excitement, and yearning in them. It was their fondest wish to see their friends become a couple and it felt as though the four of them were standing on a ledge, waiting to bungee jump, and Robin and Cormoran were taking forever to make the jump.

Nick winked at Ilsa as Cormoran reached over and laid his hand over Robin’s. “Do you want to go? To this?” He indicated the tickets. “With me?”

Robin grinned up at Cormoran, though her head was still tilted down, toward the tickets, “Sure. I really would.”

Cormoran squeezed her hand and with a nod replied, “It’s a date.”

Nick could see Ilsa struggling to keep her composure. He knew she was bursting with the need to scream with joy. So, he saved her by asking, “Great! Glad that’s settled. Robin? Do you want ice cream with your crumble?”

Robin chuckled at Nick’s deflection and nodded, while tucking the tickets back into their envelope and handing them to Cormoran to stow in his jacket pocket. “I’d love some. Thank you.”

 

Later, after desert had been cleared away, coffee and after dinner cocktails had been had, hugs and kisses were exchanged and Cormoran and Robin left for the evening. As they turned to walk to the Tube station that would take them back to their individual homes, Cormoran nudged Robin’s arm. She glanced up at him and he nodded his head in the direction of the front windows of the Herbert’s house.

Through the window they could see, and hear, Ilsa scream, “FINALLY!!!! OH MY GOD!!! FUCKING FINALLY!!!” as she jumped into Nick’s arms, joyfully covering his face in exuberant kisses.

Robin turned back to Cormoran and started giggling. He shook his head and chuckled before tossing his arm around Robin’s shoulders and pulling her into his side as they continued the trek to their station.


End file.
